I'm Not a Killer
by Pannic
Summary: Meet Algernon. He is a librarian and, as you may have guessed, a vampire. Except he doesn't sparkle.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I hope that you won't be too perturbed by a few disappointments, least of all this I have to say – while I have this piece of typing listed under the "Twilight" category, the work itself is not directly related to any of the books. Being that I am a nineteen year-old male and thus not in the target demographic, I have never read any of the _Twilight_ books, nor have I seen the movies. However, it is because of these books, along with the likes of Anne Rice and the tabletop roleplaying game _Vampire: The Masquerade_, that the "vampire" genre has had something of a rebirth, which has ironically been something of a frustration to old-school horror fans. Incidentally, I haven't read any of them, either.

Also, I pray that you may be able to keep your disbelief suspended as you are subjected to whatever oddities, unlikelihoods, improbabilities, and downright impossibilities may and will emerge as the story progressives, not least of which being that a public library, which is funded by taxes (a thing so many of us resent, especially at this time of writing), seems to so heavily used by students, rather than a university library, which is funded by tuition (a thing that so many of us also resent). Also being that I myself know very little of how a public library works, this piece of fiction is likely to contain inaccuracies for those of you who _do_ know how a public library works.

But hey, this is an imaginary story. Aren't they all?

The setting is a public library in a small, obscure town in a small, obscure state, which may just have some kind of vague similarity to Califlorida. It is snowing outside, not that it matters. The library is very well-stocked, thanks largely in part to a city council and voters that happen to be very fond of their public services. It is nearing dusk, and there are various people about at the library.

There's the middle-age woman who seems to have quite an interest in biographies of famous people, ranging from obscure playwrights (the guy who wrote _Fast-Food Nation_ wrote a play about Leon Czolgosz. Good luck finding it) to those United States Presidents that you know one or two pieces of trivia about (she can tell you that Taft did a great deal more than get stuck in his bathtub).

Then there's that one nerd. He has the good sense to know that the library does not, nor will it ever, stock supplemental materials for _Dungeons and Dragons_ or _Paranoia_, as awesome as that would be, but he amuses himself with a large selection of fantasy literature (except _Sword of Truth_. He hates _Sword of Truth_ with a passion), which does in fact contain books based off of _Dungeons and Dragons_. Just don't ask him about _Drizzt Do'Urden_. He's so annoyed at his fellow peers for copying him. At this point he'd rather someone just took the "idiot bard" archetype. At least those guys are funny and not angsty.

Then there are those four law students who are seated together studying, two guys and two girls. One of the guy's is particularly loud…

"And that is how you can legally get away with murder."

The other man looks up. He wears glasses and has a stern expression on his face, not unlike Juror No. 4 in the movie "Twelve Angry Men." If you were to mention this to him, he would remind you that "Twelve Angry Men" was originally a play and not a movie (though technically it was a teleplay first). In any case, there's a resemblance, even if he lacked the acting talent to portray the character.

"No." he said. "Never say those things again."

The two women seated ignored him, one of them reading the textbook and the other with earbuds in her ears, listening to the recording she made of the lecture.

Meanwhile, the librarian, Algernon, made his way slowly through with the cart of books, all needing to be returned to their shelves.

Algernon was a man who looked well beyond his years. At age 32, his skin was pale and his face seemed to be sunken in. One could swear that there were some premature lines on his face. His dark hair was matted and unkempt, and he wore round spectacles. He moved slowly and deliberately, as though afraid of stepping in the wrong place. One wonders if he was even capable of pushing the cart, but that'd be a stupid question, as he was doing so just fine. He spoke in a voice so soft and spoke so little that one could easily be led to assume he had no voice at all.

After he had made his rounds, returning books to the shelves, he returned to his desk at the front of the library. Opening his drawer he took out one of those boxes of pills people use to divide their medication over the course of a week. He took his pills for the day, along with the glass of water he always had at his desk, and placed his pills back in the drawer.

The pills were for the stomach pains he endured, for whatever reason. Not like they helped much, but at least he could feel somewhat better for at least _taking_ something. Algernon was a creature of habit, anyway. He had always been fond of having a safe, easy routine that he could depend upon.

Oh, how that had let him down.

The people gradually left the library, going home to get some sleep or do whatever it was they did at home. Unimportant. Eventually, the only two people left in the library were its librarian and one of the female law students, who had fallen asleep while her study-buddies had gone home. Algernon stood up and listened intently. Nobody else there. He slowly made his way over to the sleeping girl, careful not to make a sound.

Soon he was standing over her, and he bent over, his mouth to her neck. When he drew back, her neck was bleeding slightly, but he pulled a vial from his pocket, opened it, and poured a little of the contents on the wound, making it heal.

"Ma'am?" Algernon asked softly.

"Hmm?" the girl asked groggily, waking.

"It's closing time." Algernon said. "You should go home now."

"Okay." The girl said, getting her things together. "Thank you for waking me." She said as she left, but she was stopped.

She had bumped into a man who was walking in. A very tall, handsome man in a dark, expensive-looking coat with an equally expensive-looking hat.

"Pardon me," he said, smiling and tipping his hat. The woman gave him an odd look and walked out.

"Ahh," the man said, "you can't court 'em like you used to be able. But maybe I'm just nostalgic."

"Library's closed." Algernon said stiffly.

"Which is why I'm here now and not when it's open and full of other people." The man said, taking his hat off, revealing a head full of blonde hair, and showing how pale his skin was. He was a vampire. "Now, where is Algernon?"

"What do you want?" Algernon asked. "And who are you?"

"Oh! We haven't been introduced." He said, laughing a little. "I am Sir Roderick Morgan." He said.

"Sir?" Algernon asked. "There are no 'Sirs' here in America."

"Perhaps not, but I don't really care. Now, where's Algernon?"

"Standing." Algernon said.

Roderick seemed confused. "You…?" he asked, looking closely. Algernon opened his mouth, showing his teeth. "Oh." Roderick said. "No offense. It's just that you don't really look like one would expect a vampire to-"

"I keep track of books. I don't pose for magazines." Algernon said bluntly. "What do you want?"

"I was wondering about a sort of business arrangement." Roderick said, nodding his head. "I'm always one to look into expanding my flock."

"'Flock?'" Algernon asked. "Pardon me if I'm behind on the lingo."

"Prey." Roderick said. "I've noticed that you don't seem to be really using yours very much. Now, I wouldn't dream about infringing on your prey, unless you make an agreement to sell or give them to me." He smiled. "Now, if you aren't feeding from all of them-"

"I am." Algernon said. "What leads you to assume that I don't?"

Roderick raised an eyebrow. "Two things – a lack of deaths around your area-"

"You think I want to attract attention to me by having people dead?" Algernon cut him off.

"_Don't_ interrupt me!" Roderick said suddenly, a sort of harsh violence in his tone. Algernon sat down. "Also," he continued, his tone becoming more unassuming, "you certainly don't look like someone who'd been feeding from a bunch of people, fatal or otherwise."

"I have to avoid being seen." Algernon said. "Keep anything from being noticed. That means I can't eat that much, and only when conditions are right."

"I see." Roderick said. "Point of the matter is, would you be willing to sell any of your flock?"

"No." Algernon said, standing up.

"Are you certain?" Roderick asked. "Very well." He said, placing the hat on his head. "You know, I don't see you out and about. Not at the other vampire gatherings."

"That's because I don't attend." Algernon said. "Not one for parties."

Roderick smiled, as though on the verge of chuckling. "Good night, Algernon." He said, exiting the library.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Algernon was in his office, which he had outfitted to be a sort of bedroom. Well, the "outfitting" mainly consisted of a cheap air mattress in the corner of the room, but better that than the floor.

He was sitting in the seat at his desk, reading. _The Napoleon of Notting Hill,_ by Gilbert Keith Chesterton. One thing that was a bit different from Algernon's other books was that Algernon had done something to the book that he would not do to any other – he had put whiteout on a line. The book in question begins with this line

_The human race, to which so many of my readers belong, has been playing at children's games from beginning, and will probably do it till the end, which is a nuisance for the few people who grow up._

"To which so many of my readers belong." That was the offending article. Algernon thought has he had outted it, _Yes, mister Chesterton, rub it in, why doncha?_

And "children's games." He hadn't removed that line, but it, too, struck a sad cord with him. Ahh, yes, to be a kid, without worrying about vampires or whatever the hell other hocus-pocus was outside the library. In any case, now he could have some relief from that by reading about the idiot who became king.

There was a knock on the door. It startled Algernon. Hadn't he locked the doors to the library? He got out of his seat to the door and opened it. Nobody there. He then looked to the front doors of the library. They seemed unopened. He made his way over there, to check them. Still locked.

"Good evening, vamps," said a voice behind him. He jumped, startled.

Three gruff-looking young men were behind him, two right next to him and one at his desk, sorting through the return books.

"_It was a dark and stormy night_ – you mean somebody actually wrote that line?" he asked, picking up _Paul Clifford_ from the stack.

"Along with 'the great unwashed' and 'the pen is mightier than the sword.'" Algernon said. "What do you want? And who are you?"

"Just your friendly neighborhood werewolves dropping by for a visit." The nearest one said. "There a problem with that?" he asked, inching closer.

Algernon's heart was beating wildly from the nervousness, but he tried to look unflappable. "The library's closed." He said. "Come back tomorrow if you want to talk."

"Oh?" one of the werewolves said, also boxing him in. "Why, so your unsuspecting flock can protect you from the big bad wolves?"

The one sitting on the desk let out a high-pitched laugh. The other two turned to look at him, as though annoyed.

"Look, I don't know why you're here." Algernon said, nearly backed against the door. "Do I know you or something?"

"You know," one of the werewolves said to the other, ignoring him "he doesn't look like the other vampires. A lot uglier."

"Must not have any luck with the ladies."

"I said-" Algernon started.

"Shut it!" the werewolf snarled, grabbing him by the scruff of his collar, lifting him, and pinning him to the door. "You know, I could rip your head off right here if I wanted to. And you know what? I kind of _do_ what to rip your head off. Got any reasons why I shouldn't?"

"B-because that would be murder." Algernon stammered.

Stunned silence. Then, laughter. They dropped him.

"Oh man." The other werewolf said. "The bloodsucking bastard doesn't want us to kill him because 'that would be murder.' What a joke."

"Actually, he's completely right." Said another voice, from outside. Algernon looked and saw that another man had shown up. He was tall like the others (well, other two. That one werewolf at the desk seemed like he was the runt of the pack), but he had a much neater air around him, as opposed to the gruff werewolves.

"Now, tell me exactly why you're harassing this vampire?" he asked.

"Just having some fun." One of the werewolves said. "Full moon out and we wanted to have ourselves a good time."

"Yeah," his friend said. "You know how the Moon Fever gets."

"Death threats are not the way this pack operates." The man said.

"Who said anything about threats?"

"Open the door, please." The man outside said.

Cautiously (why be cautious? You either let him in or not, you don't "cautiously" let someone in), he got up and opened the door, letting the man in. "Thank you." He said, walking in.

"The way that you three are acting is not doing anything to help our relations with the vampires." He said.

"Nothing would help that. They all want us dead."

"Well, maybe if you didn't go around attacking frail old librarians they wouldn't want us all _dead_ then, would they?" he asked, barking the word "dead." "I expect my underlings to follow the rules, and running off 'hunting' isn't going to do us any good. Trust me when I say that our Alpha doesn't share your views on how to deal with vampires who aren't causing us trouble." He turned to Algernon, who had backed into a corner. "And you certainly aren't causing us trouble, are you?" he asked, in an almost threatening tone.

"No…" Algernon said quietly.

"You see?" the man said. "Now, all of you, go back with the pack. And I better not hear about any rough-housing."

The three walked off, slouching, before turning back to Algernon. "Hope that wasn't too much of a nuisance." He said, as-a-matter-of-factly.

"They were going to kill me." Algernon said, sitting down against the wall. "That's quite a nuisance."

"Fair enough." He said. "My name is Nathan Hale."

"Figures you're not a cat." Algernon muttered.

"Excuse me?" Nathan asked.

"Nothing."

"I'm very sorry for the way my subordinates acted. If they cause trouble, whether on-duty or not, I get in trouble with it." He shook his head, laughing. "Chain of command and all that. Combined our shaky-at-best relations with the vampires and our own politics within the pack, things get real complicated. You know how it is."

"Not really." Algernon said. "I don't pay attention to politics."

"Huh. Don't get out much, do you?"

"Not really." Algernon said. "Truth be told, I haven't left this library in eleven years."

Nathan was a little stuck for a response for that. "I… see." He said. "Good evening, then." And with that, he left, letting the door shut with a very relieving 'click.'


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Well, the night was over. First there was that stuck-up snob of a vampire and then there were those furry gangsters. No, Algernon did not like the night, when such unsavory characters were about. He preferred the day, when one was more apt to see the many friendly, if perhaps a little bland, personalities that grow familiar and fond.

"Mail's here." Said one of the volunteers, bringing in the mail from outside. As Algernon lived in the library, he also received his personal mail there. Not that he got much of it. They could mostly be assorted into the various things – bills, taxes, the occasional magazine, junkmail, and what appeared to be a normal, personal letter.

Algernon looked at the envelope, puzzled but not particularly caring. Seeing someone approach the desk, likely for some kind of help, he took the mail and put it into a desk drawer for later reading.

Algernon recognized him. He was that kid who would pick up a certain famous book, read it for a few minutes, and put it back on the shelf.

"I checked the computers, looking for Ayn Rand's _Atlas Shrugged_, but all the copies in the library seemed gone."

Algernon sighed. Not again. "Must've gone missing. Her books have a habit of doing that. Tell you what – I'll see if I can find it, if I can't, I'll order a new copy. I'll put you on the waiting list and send you an email when-"

"No…" the kid said. "I don't need that. I was just wondering if you had it. Thanks." He said, turning and leaving.

Algernon rolled his eyes. Figures, he thought. Figures that the people who dislike Ayn Rand would be glad to be rid of her books, while the people who do like Ayn Rand probably wouldn't be too fond of public libraries. Ahh, well. Hopefully the book would turn up, or he'd just have to order another copy.

The law students wouldn't be there until next Sunday, as their study group was only once a week. Likewise, it'd be two weeks until the lady who liked the audiobooks would be back.

But there were other people here today. There were some volunteers from the high school there to do some community service work – there was a boy and a girl who came to entertain the little kids who weren't in pre-school for whatever reason. They usually put on a skit or read from Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein.

"Knock knock"

"Who's there?"

"Me."

"Me who?"

"That's right!"

"What's right?"

"Meehoo!"

Etcetera.

Algernon took out his pitcher of water and took his medication for the day.

"Yes, exactly!"

"Exactly what?"

"Yes, I have an Exactlywatt on a chain!"

Etcetera. Algernon began to wonder to himself why exactly those two were here at the library instead of at school? Well, it didn't really matter, as his mind was off of the subject as soon as someone presented him with a book to be stamped. One thing that did not leave his mind, however, was that envelope addressed to him. That was unusual.

When he had some time, he took the envelope with him into the office. He looked at it. It was fancy, red, and ornate. On it was written in the most pretentious cursive imaginable,

"To: Mr. Algernon Williams."

Algernon took the letter opener from his desk and opened it. Inside was a sheet of paper, also fancy and also covered in pretentious cursive writing.

"_Dear Mr. Algernon Williams,_

_I really do not believe I'm well-acquainted with you, and I don't believe any our other colleagues know you either. As such, I have decided to extend an invitation to you for a party I am holding this Sunday evening. I thought it might be a nice opportunity for you to come out and meet others like yourself. Also, if you don't mind me saying so, I think it'd do you well to go out a bit more. It isn't healthy for a man like you to stay shut inside all day. That simply won't do. Not for your health and not for your social life. I expect you to attend, as I expect all those who I have sent personalized, hand-written invitations to attend. There might be someone there you'll be surprised to meet._

_Sincerely,_

_Sir Roderick Morgan"_

Algernon scanned over it once more before setting it down. "Colleagues?" Really? Was that really the best "not-going-to-alert-mortals-to-our-existence" euphemism he could come up with?

Algernon wasn't particularly one for parties, either. Unless there was a piano in the room, he always found himself painfully bored. Not that a piano would help now, as he was out of practice and his fingers had grown stiff for whatever reason. Parties were a thing that he'd tried in college, didn't enjoy, and never bothered with again. Besides, it's not like he had any friends who would invite him.

Except for some hoity-toity vampires. Why on earth would he want him to come? Probably another crack at buying Algernon's prey. Well, no, Algernon decided. He wouldn't give Roderick a single drop of blood from the library.

Besides, in all his years as a vampire, as few as those may have been, he had never set foot outside of the library.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Algernon had practically forgotten about the invitation by the next day. He had no intention of attending any parties. He had better things to do that didn't involve standing around trying to make dull small talk with a bunch of narcissistic leeches.

He made his way around the library with his cart, placing books on the shelves. Again. It was a simple job, very straightforward and predictable. Just the way he liked it. It was quiet and pleasantly lonely.

Well, not completely lonely, he found out. There was still someone sleeping in the library. There was always someone sleeping in the library. He walked over quietly, trying to get a better look at him. He leaned down, listening to his breathing, making sure that he was completely asleep and would not awaken. He looked around, making sure that there was nobody around to see him. Right, nobody there. It was near closing time, anyway. He turned back to the young man and leaned down, biting into his neck, getting what blood he could.

When he was finished, or had taken as much blood as he could get away with, he reached into his pocket, taking the vial and placing some of the substance onto the wound, healing it almost instantly.

That was his vampire routine: Wait for someone to fall asleep alone, take a bite, heal, hope that they aren't planning to donate or do anything strenuous, and take his meds.

But most of all, hope that nobody walks in on you while you're biting.

"Good evening, Algernon." Said a voice.

Algernon jumped, whirring around. "Yes?" he asked, startled.

It was Hale, the werewolf. But there was someone else there. A vampiress, in what appeared to be business attire.

"I think you'd best send him home." Hale said, taking his hat off and indicating the boy, still asleep.

"Huh?" Algernon asked. "Why? The library doesn't close for another half hour." He said, returning to his cart, which he proceeded to push down the aisle.

"You know, I was curious." Nathan said. "How does a guy like you become a vampire?"

"A brazen slut walks in and works her magic," Algernon said bluntly, "that's how."

"We wanted to talk to you about the invitation you received." Nathan said. "To the party."

"What about it?" Algernon asked, taking a book from the cart and shelving it.

"Well, you got one, right?" Nathan asked, in an effort to remain as courteous as possible, though it was plain that Algernon wanted no part in this conversation. He was starting to get pretty sick of all these visitors.

"Yes, I got one." Algernon said. "I don't know why I should care."

"Roderick tends to be quite insistent that people attend his parties." The vampire said, showing a degree of annoyance with Algernon's attitude. "If you know what's good for you, you'll go."

"That's beside the point." Nathan said. "Thing is, we want you to attend the party so you can tell us what happens there."

"Can't she?" Algernon asked, not looking at them.

"No." The vampire said. "Roderick doesn't like me, to put it simply."

"Associating with the likes of… us…" Hale said, with a grin that indicated he might have chuckled, "tends to put one in bad standing with the rest of vampire society."

"Well, keep up these visits, and I'll be sure not to get any invitations." Algernon said, shelving yet another book.

"This is only the second visit." Hale said. "Roderick isn't likely to be keeping tabs right now. Which makes you the perfect person to be our eyes and ears in there."

"Let me get this straight." Algernon said, turning around and leaning against the cart. "You want me to spy for you, or for your little pack…"

Nathan nodded.

"At a _party_…" Algernon said.

"To see what the other vampires are up to." The vampire said. "They'll talk about their latest exploits. Where they've been. Who they've stalked. Plans on wolf-hunting."

"Any information that might benefit my pack, or help just help us know what sort of activities they've been doing lately. It's in our best interests, you see."

"I see…" Algernon said flatly.

"I don't think you're too fond of the other vampires." The vampire said. "I've never seen you associate with any of them, and you're awfully dismissive of the invitation."

"Right." Nathan said, as Algernon resumed shelving books. "You're not one who seems all that into vampire society."

"No, I'm not too fond of vampires." Algernon said, stopping. "But why does that mean I should work for you?"

"You know the saying – the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Nathan said, with a savvy smiling.

"Don't throw quotes at me." Algernon said. "If I help you in spying, I could be in a world of trouble with them."

"If it comes to that, my friends can protect you."

"Your friends tried to murder me this week."

An awkward silence followed. Then the vampire stepped up.

"Listen, Algernon, the werewolves aren't bad people," she said. "They were simply prejudiced against you because you're a vampire."

"Yeah, I might be prejudiced against myself, too." Algernon said, pushing the cart.

"But these other vampires are seriously dangerous. Many of them are rapists, murderers, engaged in the worst kinds of debauchery."

Algernon stopped. He turned to face them. They both looked at him, both with anxious expressions.

"Tell me, Nathan, …" he looked at the vampire, who hadn't told her name yet.

"Rebecca." She said.

"Rebecca…" Algernon said. He looked down at the book he had in his hand. _Eugene Onegin_, by Alexander Pushkin. He'd have to read it. He made note of it in his mind. He looked back up at them. "Have you ever killed anyone?" he asked.

"A few." Rebecca said. "The occasional back-alley rapist or mugger."

Algernon nodded. He looked over at Nathan. "You?" he asked.

The werewolf laughed. "It's practically a war, the way 'race relations' are." He said. "You know how it is."

Algernon turned to the bookshelf, placing the book on the shelf. He just stood there, facing the shelf. "Get out." He said quietly.

"Excuse me?" Nathan asked stepping towards him.

"GET OUT OF MY LIBRARY!" Algernon shouted, whirring around to face them.

They weren't startled by the outburst. Rebecca merely sighed, turning to leave.

"Good evening, then." Nathan said, placing his hat on his head and following her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Algernon looked out the glass doors of the library. Or were they glass? Or instead just some clear plastic? He'd never bothered to check. In any case, that transparent barrier was the only thing standing between him and the cold night air.

How he hated the cold night air. It made his skin crawl. Or it would have, if he had bothered to set foot outside.

"'Scuse me." One of the library patients said, a bit groggy. Algernon turned and let him exit. As he opened the door, the cold air entered, stinging Algernon's skin.

Tonight was lucky. People had been staying up late tonight. Five or six people had fallen asleep while reading or working. That was a great deal more fortunate than Algernon usually had. But it had made him nervous. Suppose if someone had seen him in the act? That was a fear he had always had.

He slipped his hand into his pocket, grabbing the vial and bringing it up to his eyes. It was empty. He'd used up the last of the healing fluid. Not good. He'd have to make more of it, but the ingredients weren't due for another two days.

Not too much of a problem, though. He'd just have someone run an errand to the pharmacy to get the necessary ingredients. Though that was worrisome, too. Suppose he got caught forging prescriptions?

He was treading on thin ice. Any one slip-up could ruin everything – someone waking up while he was feeding, someone catching him, someone trying to donate blood, him opening his mouth too wide and showing his fangs, someone realizing his forgery, someone asking some inconvenient questions. Or imagine if he stumbled and fell, and had to be hospitalized?

Any other vampire could deal with those issues. They had the cunning, the power, the ruthlessness, or the money, to deal with those snaps. They could afford to be reckless. Sir Roderick Morgan could afford to be reckless. Algernon could not. His mind was not particularly sharp, his body frail, and his funds mediocre, and his ethics were what many vampires would call a hindrance.

There was a knock on the door. Algernon's head snapped up. It was a (_Oh, for the love of God, not another one_, he thought) vampire.

He was positively boyish-looking, like one of the people on those weekday-night sitcoms they show reruns of for three-quarters of the year. He was dressed nicely, in all black, as though he was going to a concert. Around his neck there was a small chain, with an upside-down cross. He was smiling pleasantly.

"May I come in?" he asked, being sure to mouth it in an exaggerated manner.

Algernon sighed irritably, and would probably have said no, if another patron hadn't exited. This left the vampire able to walk in freely. Again, Algernon winced as he felt the cold night air.

"Good evening, Algernon." The stranger said.

"I don't know who you are." Algernon said. "And I doubt you know who I am, so don't address me as though I'm familiar."

"Oh, I can look up who's in charge of a place." The vampire said. "On my nightly walks, I've passed this library. I've noticed a fair bit of activity. Some vampires and werewolves have been stopping here, ranging from Sir Roderick Morgan to some members of the local werewolf pack. It's made me curious."

"I'd probably be curious, too, if I wasn't so annoyed." Algernon said, walking over to his desk. "What do you want? Library's closing."

"Nothing." The stranger said. "Just wanted to talk. The name's Lucas." He said, extending his hand.

"Talk about what?" Algernon said gruffly, not shaking his hand.

"Well, about you." Lucas said. "You're a bit of a loner. Generally been under the radar, for the most part. All we knew was that the patrons of this library were somebody's flock."

"Good to hear that you know. You can't have any." Algernon said.

"That's not I'm here about…" Lucas said. This was not a particularly pleasant conversation. After a pause, he spoke again. "You've been entertaining some dangerous company."

"I noticed." Algernon said.

"'Scuse me?" Another library patron asked, coming up to him with a book. "I'd like to check this out?"

"Sure." Algernon said. "Card?" She produced the card. Algernon scanned the card and the book (Bridge of Birds), and stamped the card on the inside of the book. "Due in three weeks."

"Thank you." The patron said, leaving.

"Best keep our voices low." Lucas said.

"Or not use them at all." Algernon said.

"I take it I'm not welcome, then." Lucas said, turning to leave. "But if you need anything, I'm always available. I'm the pastor over at the church down the street."

Algernon let out a laugh. Lucas left. Algernon looked around, and called out. "Library's closed! Everyone go home!"

Some slight stirring as the last few people who had been asleep got up from their tables and left.

And then Algernon was left alone in his library, as usual.


End file.
